Sunday 6 May 1660
(Lord’s day). This morning while we were at sermon comes in Dr. Clarges and a dozen gentlemen to see my Lord, who, after sermon, dined with him; I remember that last night upon discourse concerning Clarges my Lord told me that he was a man of small entendimiento.1
This afternoon there was a gentleman with me, an officer of Dunkirk going over, who came to me for an order and told me he was lately with my uncle and Aunt Fenner and that Kate’s fits of the convulsions did hold her still.
It fell very well to-day, a stranger preached here for Mr. Ibbot, one Mr. Stanley, who prayed for King Charles, by the Grace of God, &c., which gave great contentment to the gentlemen that were on board here, and they said they would talk of it, when they come to Breda, as not having it done yet in London so publickly.
After they were gone from on board, my Lord writ a letter to the King and give it to me to carry privately to Sir William Compton on board the Assistance, which I did, and after a health to his Majesty on board there, I left them under sail for Breda. Back again and found them at sermon. I went up to my cabin and looked over my accounts, and find that, all my debts paid and my preparations to sea paid for, I have 40l. clear in my purse. After supper to bed.
26 Annotations
First Reading
Todd Bernhardt • Link
Not a bad ROI in four months' time!
From "worth 40l. and more" ( http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… ) on 29 January to being worth £640 on 6 May … that’s a return on investment (in time, politicking, etc.) for Sam of, um … er, carry the 2 … a LOT.
Pepys’ powerful personality pays!
Keith Wright • Link
Intriguingly, "The Shorter Pepys" retranscribes the reckoning sentence to conclude:
"I have above 40L clear in my purse."
(actually a lower-case, underlined "L" that may not come across in this font)
---which one assumes means he has this much in his pockets at the moment of writing, exclusive of what he left behind on land.
Can someone with the complete L&M verify this revision?
gerry • Link
Keith L@M also say 40l and gives future info. They say that Sam's persomal accts. have not survived.
mw • Link
Todd Bernhardt your production of a french king in time took a little while but I suppose with that economic efficency it must be possible. Wonderful Thanks.
Todd Bernhardt • Link
Must be my cavalier attitude. Vive le ROI! :^)
Still, as Keith and gerry point out, it sounds as if it's a transcription error ... ah well, at least he's holding steady. Wish I could say as much about *my* portfolio over the last few years...
Paul Brewster • Link
"he was a man of small entendimiento"
Such a big and foreign word and out of the mouth of his "dread" Lord. I wonder if our upwardly mobile SP has written it down so he'll remember it and can use it the next time he gets a chance. It would be interesting to see the actual shorthand at this point to get a clue.
johng • Link
Where onboard ship were the sermons held and did each ship have its own service?
Emilio • Link
Entendimiento and Mr. Stanley
Pepys knew a fair amount of basic Spanish, though I don't know where he picked it up. He puts this knowledge to use much later to disguise some of his racier passages from prying eyes - L&M appropriately call this disguised language his 'lingua franca'. I believe Wheatley's transcription will mistakenly give those passages in French.
Relating to today's sermon, Parliament will vote on the 9th to order all preachers to pray for the king. In addition, here is what L&M have to say about Mr. Stanley: "probably William Stanley (d. 1680), Vicar of Walmer and Rector of Ripple, Kent".
Mary • Link
Entendimiento
is rendered in italics by L&M, indicating that the word was written in longhand in the original diary.
Paul Brewster • Link
Entendimiento
So it may be more likely a dodge to hide his Lord's low opinion of a person (Dr Clarges) with high connections (Monk).
Theodopoulos Pherecydes • Link
Pepys is pretty faithful about recording his net worth periodically. I won't spoil the fun, but it was enlightening for me to keep a running tally for comparison purposes all the way to the end.
vincent • Link
Accounting: Does it include the "the Caudle " and other tokens of esteme ?
Alan Morel • Link
It may be that the 640 referred to is actually 640/-, which is actually 640 shillings, and at 20 shillings to the pound that would be 32 pounds. Maybe in transcription the small-cap italicized 'l' underlined was originally the forward slash and horizontal dash of shilling notation. I would think that the crossed 'L' denoting pound would come before the number, as it does now. Just a thought, but it would be interesting to see the original notation on this point.
Jenny Doughty • Link
I'm not sure about the navy during the 17th century, but a hundred years or so later ships' captains would conduct acts of worship on the deck on Sunday if no priest was on board, and conclude by reading the Articles of War, which laid out sundry unpleasant punishments, mainly death, for breaches of discipline.
vincent • Link
Services were a popular time to get of a lashing of the mind and then to the body; On deck Hats duly dofted.
Phil Gyford • Link
For the record, I've corrected the "640l." to "40l.", which seems like the correct figure.
Second Reading
Bill • Link
Clarges arrived in Breda on May 8:
This Address from the Army, together with the General's Letter, was sent to his Majesty by Commissary Clarges; and gave a further Assurance of the Army's Obedience and Submission. His Majesty had before receiv'd an Account of this Gentleman, and of the Service he had render'd him, by his constant and faithful Correspondence with General Monk, in order to his Restauration: So that he entertain'd him with a particular Kindness, and presently knighted him, Being the first Person who receiv'd (and deservedly) any Title or Mark of Honour from his Majesty upon this Service.
---Life of General Monk. T. Skinner, 1773
Terry Foreman • Link
"my Lord writ a letter to the King "
Bodl., Clar. 72, ff. 240-1, 6 May; protesting his loyalty (L&M note)
Terry Foreman • Link
'It fell very well to-day, a stranger preached here for Mr. Ibbot, one Mr. Stanley, who prayed for King Charles, by the Grace of God, &c., which gave great contentment to the gentlemen that were on board here, and they said they would talk of it, when they come to Breda, as not having it done yet in London so publickly."
L&M: The parliamentary order enjoining ministers to pray for the King was not voted until the 9th. The preacher was probably William Stanley (d. 1680), vicar of Walmer and Rector of Ripple, Kent.
Terry Foreman • Link
"I have above 40L clear in my purse."
L&M: The diary registers Pepys's rapid progress from these small beginnings. For details, see Companion [L&M Vol. X]: 'Finances'. His cash capital (c. £25 in March 1660) rose to £6700 in April 1667, of which £3000 had been gained in 1665-6, during the height of the Dutch war. His personal accounts, often mentioned in the diary, have not survived.
Third Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
"I remember that last night upon discourse concerning Clarges my Lord told me that he was a man of small entendimiento."
Montagu's being a snob again! From Clarges Parliamentary bio I think this may illustrate why the wealthy lawyer who enjoyed huntin', shootin' and fishin' at his country estate found entertaining these working types so difficult:
"A ‘bigoted’ High Churchman, Sir Thomas Clarges MP, with his modest London origins, was not an archetypal country gentleman. Although Clarges later in life came to own much land in the home counties, his chief interests and links were always metropolitan. ... Even in the last years of his life, Sir Thomas Clarges MP showed little inclination for the steadier life of a country gentleman and seldom left the capital. Self-conscious of his acquired genteel status, Sir Thomas Clarges MP was attached to the ‘succession of posterity’ which he regarded as ‘one of the greatest blessings and felicities of this life’."
I.E. Clarges did not believe in rocking the boat -- and Montagu was instrumental in the biggest boat rocking in a generation.
MartinVT • Link
Happy Coronation Day to all our UK/Commonwealth friends, long live the next King Charles!
3Lamps • Link
Reading this week's entries 363 years later in the lead up to the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III (which starts in about an hour from now as I type this annotation) has enhanced the experience of both the diary and today's Coronation. Rule Britannia and Long Live the King.
San Diego Sarah • Link
Yes Pepys does heighten our appreciation of all sorts of things, 3Lamps.
I found an article about why the Coronation is relevant in 2023, and isn't just an indulgent medieval flashback on the part of the British with their desire for more tourists:
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
San Diego Sarah • Link
Pepys' money has a page of its own, showing how he became a wealthy man in 9 years. https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
San Diego Sarah • Link
"Pepys knew a fair amount of basic Spanish, although I don't know where he picked it up. Where and when did Pepys learn some Spanish?"
According to Bryant, 'Man in the Making,' 1943 ed., p. 34-5:
In 1656 Montagu came home with treasure captured from a returning Spanish galleon off Cadiz. He also had care of a young orphan, the Marquis de Baides, who he left in Pepys' care until the ransom was paid. Bryant suggests that Pepys acquired his spoken Spanish from having long conversations with his charge.
Pepys' interest in Spanish didn't stop there: he collected books, plays and broadsides in the language. His collection of Spanish plays was sufficiently good that it was the subject of a monograph in 1980; Wilson, Edward M., and Cruickshank, Don W.; "Samuel Pepys's Spanish Plays". London: The Bibliographical Society, 1980.
I suspect this collection was made after the Diary years as most of his Diary Spanish appears to be phonetic